Freshman state house member's bill gets unanimous nod

ATLANTA - A state representative from Dawsonville became the first freshman to introduce a bill under the gold dome this session, a bill dealing with sex offenders.

House Bill 122 authorizes the Sexual Offender Registration Review Board to review and use records of the Board of Pardon and Paroles in it's assessments.

Kevin Tanner, a Republican representing the 9th District, said he introduced the bill in part because of conversations he had with Tracy Alvord, Executive Director of the Sex Offender Review Board.

"She told us stories of where sex offenders were almost mis classified because they didn't have access to all of the information," Tanner said.

"They classify sex offenders into one of three levels in our state, and it's important to get them correct, because if they're a level one offender, they can actually come off the list at some point. They can petition to be taken off the list."

Tanner has a background in law enforcement and the board of corrections. He said he worked with the parole board in an audit last year. One of the findings related to the sex offender review process was what Tanner called a lack of critical access.

The bill passed the house with a unanimous vote. It now heads to the senate.